The King of Fighters/Characters/The Orochi Saga

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


The characters in The King of Fighters introduced during the Orochi Saga (‍'‍95-'98) will be listed here.

Characters are listed in alphabetical order of last names. It should be noted that all the Chinese and Korean character names are rendered in the Western style (given name-surname rather than surname-given name).


The King of Fighters '95

Billy Kane

"How doe's it feel to be well-done? But I bet you taste terrible."

Voiced by: Katsuhisa Namase (‍'‍95), Atsushi Yamanishi (‍'‍97-2002, Maximum Impact series), Seijirou (2003, XIII), Marc Donovan (Maximum Impact 2, English)

Geese's loyal right-hand man ever since the first Fatal Fury. A punk from England whose skill with a staff is second to none, he's nonetheless committed to his sister Lilly, and when Geese was killed, returned to England to support her. When Geese resurfaced, he went back to Southtown to carry out Geese's request to investigate the Orochi power in the ‍'‍97 tournament. Loathes Iori Yagami, since he was on the receiving end of a beating dished out by him once. In the Maximum Impact series, he's trying to convince Rock to follow in his father's footsteps. Has been recently confirmed by Famitsu to be returning to the console version of XIII, sporting his original attire.

  • Ambition Is Evil: Averted. Billy serves Geese because he genuinely likes the guy and wants to provide for his sister, not due to any ulterior motives on his part. This is why he hangs up his coat and relocates to the English countryside after Geese's death in the Maximum Impact series (until, of course, he hears words of a new group leading Southtown).
  • Badass in a Nice Suit: His "Another" costume in the Maximum Impact series. It depicts how he dresses while serving Geese.
  • Best Served Cold: Towards Iori Yagami, whom both he and Eiji hate for beating them up for their failure.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Towards Lilly.
  • Blond Guys Are Evil
  • Boring but Practical: His Sansetukoncyuudanuchi special attack simply involves moving toward your opponent and pressing a button. Thanks to its ridiculous range and stun properties, it also makes Billy the most broken character in The King of Fighters-i 002, to the point where he can solo Team Battle Mode and get perfect victories on Ash Crimson.
  • British Accents: Dub only. Cockney.
  • The Dragon: To Geese Howard.
  • Evil Brit: He's of the British hooligan type.
  • Gratuitous English: Notable for this, especially his infamous "I'MMA GONNA BATCHES 'N BURN!" line from Real Bout (Translation: I'm gonna bust you so bad!).
    • Surprisingly Good English: Consider his intro against Iori in ‍'‍97 and ‍'‍98 which had him shouting "I wish I could tear him apart!" (complete with additional Eiji backing in ‍'‍98), his eponymous "Hey-hey-hey!" intro and his "Who's turn is it?" quote.
    • All in all, which side of the English/Engrish fence Billy falls upon depends on two things: a) who's voicing him and b) which installment of the series this is.
  • Hammerspace: Maybe. In his 2002 HSDM, if Billy is attacked while he doesn't have his staff, he'll pull out a second staff from underneath his jacket.
  • Hitbox Dissonance: While his Weapon of Choice gives Billy great range (sometimes propelling him into Game Breaker status), he's also subject to this. One great example can be found here.
  • Morality Pet: Lilly.
  • My Sister Is Off-Limits: He doesn't like it one bit that Joe Higashi is seeing Lilly.
  • Nice Bandana
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: His outfit in King of Fighters '95 (carried over from the first Fatal Fury game) appears to be modeled after former English pro-wrestler, Dynamite Kid. Later games have Billy resembling Axl Rose.
  • No Smoking: It's one of his pet peeves. He even wears the sign on the back of his outfit and will assault anyone who blows cigarette smoke in his face. The only exception to this is when Geese smokes.
  • Odd Friendship: With Eiji and Blue Mary. The former is moreso due to their mutual hatred of Iori. He's even something of a Friendly Enemy to Terry and co. nowadays.
  • Playing with Fire/Incendiary Exponent: He has the ability to charge his staff with fire.
    • Ring of Fire: His Chou Kaen Senpuu Kon DM has him do this, twirling his staff first to build up the fire then whipping it forward and thrusting the flame as a rolling flame ring towards his foe
  • Precision F-Strike: He screams "Go to hell!" during his Great Windmill DM.
  • Punny Name: Subverted. His last name isn't pronounced "cane" (as in, the weapon he uses), but "kon" or "kaan".
    • Double subverted: "Kon" in Japanese roughly means "cane".
  • Simple Staff: One that separates and combines, to boot.
  • Super Strength: Relatively speaking, it would take a great deal of might to properly utilize a three-section staff held together by chains with great tensile strength.
  • Undying Loyalty: In the Maximum Impact series, even with Geese dead, Billy still serves no one other than Geese. This is why he's returned to Southtown: he believes that no one is more fitting to rule over the city than Geese.
  • Wearing a Flag on Your Head: Wore an Union Jack shirt in his Fatal Fury 2/Special appearance.

Eiji Kisaragi

"I'm a ninja! I have no pity for losers!"

Voiced by: Yoshinori Shima

A ninja assigned by Mr. Big to assassinate the Sakazaki family. He has failed repeatedly to do this, but nonetheless still pursues his goal. He joined up with Billy and Iori in the ‍'‍95 tournament to form the Rival Team, but the three failed to reach the finals. Iori beat the two ruthlessly for their failure, resulting in a lifelong grudge from them. He also joined up with Kasumi and Malin in the eleventh tournament to form the Anti-Kyokugen team. If the King of Fighters: Kyo manga is canon, he may have had a nasty run-in with Kyo's mother Shizuka at one point too.

Saisyu Kusanagi

"Defeat is defeat. Fighting's no picnic, kid."

Voiced by: Toshimitsu Arai (‍'‍95, The King of Fighters: Kyo), Keiichiro Sakagi (‍'‍98, Neowave)

The father of Kyo Kusanagi, and the current head of the clan. After the events of the ‍'‍94 and ‍'‍95 tournaments, he handed off the responsibilities of the clan to Kyo, claiming it was Kyo's time to face his destiny. He hasn't done much since then, aside from training Shingo.

  • Brainwashed and Crazy: In ‍'‍95, done by Rugal through his secretary Vice.
  • Bunny Ears Lawyer: Lazy, eccentric, a slacker... and an extremely powerful fighter and mentor when he bothers to get serious. The King of Fighters: Kyo manga is really good at this.
  • Cannot Spit It Out: He was so moved by Shingo's courage and determination that he couldn't reveal the fact that the Kusanagi flames are hereditary powers, thus meaning that Shingo would never be able to use fire.
  • Cool Old Guy: He's essentially Kyo with more lifetime experience.
  • Old Master: Despite being somewhat younger than the standard.
  • Open-Minded Parent: Due to his status within the Kusanagi clan and the fact that his son can't avoid his destiny.
  • Playing with Fire: Just like his son, he is a member of the Kusanagi bloodline, so he gets to wield and control fire.
  • Retired Badass: After ‍'‍95, he passes on the duties and responsabilities of the Kusanagi clan to Kyo. XIII reveals that he asked Takuma to train Kyo in his absence.
  • Spell My Name with an "S": Saishu?
    • This is when you consider that his name has been written on screen ever since as "Saisyu".
      • Both "shu" and "syu" are accepted Romanizations for the syllable しゅ, so either spelling is technically correct. SNK seems to prefer Saisyu for whatever reason. Then we have both the final part of his name in romaji: either with a single "u", double "u" ("uu") or with a circumflex ("ū").

Iori Yagami

"Remember me when you look at the moon."

Voiced by: Kunihiko Yasui, Eric Summerer (Maximum Impact series, English), Jack Merluzzi (XII, English)

Iori is the latest descendant of the Yagami clan, formerly the Yasakani. His family was a former ally of Kyo Kusanagi's, but they became jealous of the Kusanagi clan's power, and entered into a blood pact with Orochi, their former enemy. They were granted newer, blue-tinted flames, but at the cost of extreme pain when using these powers, and each mother of a newborn would die in childbirth. As a final side effect, they were now susceptible to the Riot of the Blood, a state in which the user is driven insane until they become nothing more than mindless zombies, killing and destroying everything in their path. When the Kusanagi clan found out about this, they waged war against the Yasakani clan, who changed their name to Yagami prior to the blood pact. Iori enters the ‍'‍95 tournament to fight Kyo, but fails to do so, and ruthlessly beats his teammates into the ground. In ‍'‍96, he finally faces Kyo, but is approached by Chizuru to ally with them. He fights Goenitz and kills him, but his flames turn crimson. Chizuru explains that this is the true power of the Yagami clan that has long been hidden inside him, and also warns him about the Riot of the Blood, but he brushes it off. While conversing with Vice and Mature, he is suddenly stricken with blindness and nausea, and starts to cough up blood. He is finally wracked with extreme pain, and he ends up killing both Vice and Mature as he enters the Riot of the Blood for the first time. In ‍'‍97, he is about to face Kyo in the finals, but then he enters the Riot of the Blood along with Leona, who attacks her teammates while Iori attacks Kyo. Both are snapped back to their senses and Iori teams up with Kyo to fight Orochi. Orochi attempts to drive him back into the Riot, but the plan backfires when he attacks Orochi instead of Kyo. Iori holds Orochi in place long enough for him to be resealed. He resurfaces in ‍'‍99, once again searching for Kyo, and overhears about the various Kyo clones around the world. He finds the real one and fights with him in the collapsing base. In 2000, he is also a single entry, again looking for Kyo. In 2001, he joins with Vanessa, Seth and Ramon, under the premise that he will fight Kyo again. He teams up with Kyo and Chizuru in 2003, and witnesses Ash's theft of Chizuru's powers. In XI, he teams up with Kyo and Shingo, but due to the increased presence of Orochi, he enters the Riot of the Blood once again and attacks Shingo. Ash intervenes and somehow defeats Iori, taking his powers. His fate afterward is unknown, but in Maximum Impact, he is searching for Ash Crimson to regain his powers. Apparently, he still has some control over his flames, and is returning for XIII. In the end, Iori regains his powers, forsaking his chance for a normal life.

  • Anti-Hero: Type V.
  • Arrogant Kung Fu Guy: And a dick about it too. Iori isn't shy about letting his opponents know they're too weak for him, purple flames or not.
  • Badass Boast: His usual opening pose ("Sugu raku ni shite yaru.") translates to "I'll make it easy for you." or "I'll end your pain soon."
  • Badass Longcoat: Another Iori (Iori's striker from 2000, which represents how Iori dresses outside of King of Fighters) has one.
  • Badass Normal: He was Brought Down to Normal to this after Ash stole his flames.
  • Bare Your Midriff: His outfit from XII onwards.
  • Battle in the Center of the Mind: Quite a few drama CDs hint at an Orochi-like presence that resides inside him, irritating him to the point that Iori usually reacts violently. His XII profile seems to confirm this, as Iori seems to be suffering from a slight identity crisis. This is presumably the reason behind his refusal to associate with others and his solitary lifestyle.
  • The Berserker: For some reason, losing his flames causes Iori's bloodlust and violent tendencies to intensify up to the point where the cast of King of Fighters XIII can feel it just by being around him.
  • Bonus Boss: To the Japan Team in King of Fighters '97, but only if Kyo beats Orochi. He's also this in King of Fighters '99. Shares this status with Kyo, and you can only fight him if your battle points are over 190, and you fight Kyo if they are over 280.
  • Breakout Character: Something of a meta example. While Iori was a main character from the beginning (being The Rival to Kyo), he was of such a different mold from other video game characters at the time (such as his trademark Evil Laugh) that he became an instant hit with fans (and not just the female ones). Thus, most subsequent games have shoehorned him to a role of at least some significance.
    • It is said Iori's design from the start sought this end, so he may have been an Invoked Trope example.
  • Can't Stay Normal: In his ending in XIII, Iori decides to reabsorb the Yasakani-no-Magatama into his body despite Mature and Vice warning him that he has the chance to live a normal life without needing to worry about the Riot of the Blood or his bloodline's curse. Ultimately, they go along with his choice and return to the afterlife, telling Iori that they'll perhaps meet again on a moonlit night.
  • Clothes Make the Legend: Unlike Kyo, he didn't change his clothing until King of Fighters XII and even then, the change is rather slight.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Very anti-heroic though.
  • Deadly Upgrade: The pact his clan made with Orochi to acquire power reduces his life span, hurts him when he summons flames, and subjects him to the Riot of the Blood, which causes him to lose control of himself and makes him vomit blood.
  • Downloadable Content: "Flame" Iori in XIII, his old moveset.
  • The Drifter: He doesn't seem to have any home to go to.
  • Easily Forgiven: Although he killed Mature and Vice (albeit not of his own volition), they say that they don't hold a grudge against him and ask to accompany him as his teammates in XIII. Perhaps they like Iori a bit too much...
  • Emo: Again, the fans are mistaken. Let it be said that Iori's debut in 1995 predates the mainstream popularity (and common idea) of the word emo by a margin of five years. Also, it's quite clear that Iori does not match up to the emotional stereotypes.
  • Enemy Mine/Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Happens on no less than four occasions with Kyo (‍'‍96, ‍'‍97, 2003 and XI). Luckily, Chizuru or Shingo is there to keep the team from falling apart.
  • Enemy Within: Orochi Iori.
  • Evil Redhead: At least, that's how his debut portrayed him. ‍'‍96 and beyond have shifted Iori towards an antagonistic, but more anti-heroic role.
  • Expy" People see him as this to Mark of the Wolves's Freeman due to his moveset in XII. Ironically, when Freeman first made his debut, he was called an Expy of Iori.
  • Fingerless Gloves: Again, not normally, but Another Iori has 'em.
  • Freudian Excuse: Besides the ancient Kusanagi-Yasakani feud, it's assumed by fans that Iori had a craptastic childhood, possibly killed/lost his girlfriend, and is pissed off by having to enter King of Fighters every year to kill Kyo because he explicitly hates violence.
  • Gory Discretion Shot: When he killed Vice and Mature in King of Fighters '96, only their silhouettes could be seen. Used again in SNK vs. Capcom: Chaos for his Exceed, which is a Riot of the Blood-induced attack.
    • And again in XIII with his Neo MAX.
  • Hidden Depths: If SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos is anything to go by, he's well-versed in the works of Shakespeare, particularly Much Ado About Nothing.

Iori (to Chun-Li): "If you wish not to die, Get Thee to a Nunnery."

  • Meaningful Name: His family's previous name Yasakani comes from the Yasakani-no-Magatama, legendary prayer beads symbolizing benevolence that were used in tandem with the Yata-no-Kagami. Much like the other members of the Sacred Treasures Team, Iori plays a crucial role in the battle with Orochi, especially considering that he fights against Orochi's mind control and snares him just long enough for Kyo to finish the job. His Ya Otome DM (also known as the Maiden Masher/Rage of the 8 Maidens) refers to the part of the Orochi myth where Orochi had already devoured seven of a family's eight daughters and was coming to eat the final daughter.
    • While Yagami is usually written out as "eight god", if the kanji was different (like a certain other Yagami), it'd instead spell out "night god". The Yagami clan is represented by the moon.
    • His DM in older games Ya Sakazuki (meaning "Eight Sake Cups") is another reference to Orochi myth, where Orochi was dazed by having each of its heads drink sake. The move itself stuns his foe if they're hit, furthering the similarity.
  • Monochromatic Mind Control Eyes: As Orochi Iori. Crosses over with Glowing Eyes of Doom and Eyes of Gold Depending on the Artist.
  • Mr. Fanservice
  • The One Guy: In SNK Gal Fighters.
  • The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: How he views his rivalry with Kyo.
  • Paper-Thin Disguise: His "Miss X" alter ego in SNK Gals Fighters. Subverted, as the girls were not fooled.
  • Peek-a-Bangs: Given that he's somewhat of a tribute to Yasuhiro Nightow's character designs, Iori has them to an extent.
  • Pet the Dog: Both his interactions with Chizuru in XIII and his drama CD The Sun and The Moon ~ Prologue verge on the brink of painting Iori in this light. Also, this official art. Didn't think he had it in him, did you?
  • Playing with Fire: Bluish-violet fire.
  • Primal Stance/Limp and Livid: As Orochi Iori.
  • Public Domain Artifact/Amplifier Artifact: Had the Yasakani-no-Magatama inside of his body until Ash pilfered it in XI.
  • The Rival: Was more or less the Arch Enemy to Kyo earlier on, but has regressed to this, especially in the wake of his and Kyo's mutual archenemy Ash.
  • Rule of Symbolism: Iori skirts the line. There are lots of references to the number eight in his moves and other areas. His signature super/Desperation Move, the Ya Otome, is frequently translated in English as "Rage of the 8 Maidens". The move also hits exactly 8 times in its base form. Iori's other super, the Ya Sakazuki, launches a fire spark that can explode into eight advancing columns of fire at its maximum. All of this is related to Orochi being an 8-headed demon and the legend that he sought out eight maidens to devour. As his family made a pact with the Orochi, this has some meaning but ultimately, does not contribute to his character in any significant way.
  • Sarcastic Confession: The fans are torn on whether or not Iori really hates violence.
    • In the King of Fighters 2000 manga, Kyo asks him this. Iori answers that even if he doesn't care about their family feud now, it started like this. Kid Iori would rather play piano and read than learn to fight. His own father was depressed because Saisyu was stronger than him, and he heard rumours that Kyo had even more potential than his father. This drove Iori to seek power. One night, Orochi's spirit came to Iori, and he asked if the boy want to grow strong; Iori says yes, and Orochi gives him power. Back in the present, Iori tells Kyo, "It's true that I hate violence, but I'd hate even more seeing my own family being disgraced, so if I have to use violence to destroy you, then so be it." But now, Iori just hates Kyo's guts. Thus, it became...
  • Screw Destiny: Like Kyo, Iori doesn't care about his family's history (although he is somewhat prideful about it): he just seems to instinctively hate Kyo. He also is uninterested in rectifying the mistakes of his ancestors.
    • He subverts this (and so does Kyo). Nothing he does in the Orochi saga is with the intent of preventing the release of Orochi yet everything that he actually gets involved with ends up working towards that end anyway. So ultimately, You Can't Fight Fate.
  • Sixth Ranger: Arguably.
  • Skyward Scream: Heard only in Orochi/Riot of the Blood mode.

The King of Fighters '96

Mr. Big

"The name's Mr. Big, That's B-I-G, BIG! Burn it into your memory!"

Voiced by: Masaru Naka (‍'‍96), Nobuyuki Yuki (Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, XI)

The Big Bad of the first Art of Fighting game, he is invited by Geese Howard to join him and Wolfgang Krauser in the ‍'‍96 tournament. He used to be the head of Southtown's underworld until Geese displaced him and made him second-in-command, and it was under Geese's orders that he kidnapped Yuri Sakazaki and kickstarted the events of Art of Fighting. His current status is unknown, but he is likely still serving Geese and biding his time until he can retake his claim on Southtown. Until that time, however, it's assumed he's currently living the good life with his ladies and henchmen.

Leopold Goenitz of the Wildly-Blowing Wind

"Now the world burns in hate's flames, and chaos reigns!"

Voiced by: Yoshinori Shima

One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi, Goenitz possesses the ability to control the wind. He is the one who killed Chizuru's twin sister Maki and awakened Leona's Orochi blood, causing her to completely obliterate her entire village. He also gave Rugal a portion of Orochi's power after Rugal withstood the pain of having his right eye gouged out. He tries to kill Kyo, Iori and Chizuru in the ‍'‍96 tournament, but fails and ends up being dealt a fatal blow by Iori. It's implied that his spirit escapes though.

  • Affably Evil: Very polite and courteous to his rivals.
  • Badass Bookworm: It's a possibility. His sideline waiting animation involves him reading a book (it might be some sort of holy scripture) while wearing Scary Shiny Glasses. The next thing you know, KOKO DESU KA?
  • Badass Preacher: You can't deny it. Of course, when we say God, we mean Orochi.
  • Beard of Evil: A quite impressive goatee.
  • Blow You Away: His elemental power among the Heavenly Kings is wind. He is (in)famous for his Yonokaze move as well as his Yamidoukoku DM. His arrival in the final moments of ‍'‍96 is heralded by a gust of wind destroying the stadium around him.
  • Catch Phrase: "KOKO DESU KA?"
  • The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard: In King of Fighters '96, he could do desperation moves without having to fill his power gauge.
    • Also, if his AI entered a loop, he would continually use his Tornado Summon move over and over, making him completely unbeatable and forcing you to forfeit the round.
  • Crystal Dragon Jesus: He is pretty much a Catholic priest, except that he serves Orochi and not the Abrahammic God. He does, however, refer to his deity as "God" in his winquotes.
  • Dramatic Wind: Subverted. Although his elemental affinity is wind, none of his poses invoke the trope.
  • Gender Flip: The infamous Goeniko fad, which stemmed from his Midnight Bliss form in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos. Notable in that she actually showed up as an official character in the pachinko games.
  • Ghost Amnesia: In a non-canonical story, his ghost meets up with Ninon Beart from Maximum Impact 2. Goenitz can't remember anything, but seems to recognize the mention of his title: the wildly-blowing wind.
  • Finger Wag: He nonchalantly does this and snickers while performing a back roll.
  • Flash Step: Using the wind, of course.
  • Gratuitous Foreign Language: Sorta. The movesets for him and the other Heavenly Kings (Yashiro, Shermie and Chris) are written in cyrillic.
  • Hellish Pupils: Before fighting him, his pupils turn into slits in the cutscene.
  • Herald: When he showed up, things would never be the same in the King of Fighters world. One could argue that he's the catalyst of everything that's gone wrong in this series.
  • It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY": Based on the Japanese spelling of his name, it's pronounced "gay-nits". Based on the spelling and German pronunciation, it should be somewhere between "gurnits" and "guhnits", similar to Karl Doenitz from World War II. That is, unless he's friends with John Boehner.
  • Multicolored Hair: His theme song, "Trash Head" lampshades this.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: Just take a look at his stage. That was a perfectly good stadium before his arrival.
  • Razor Wind: His His Yonozake has the "slash" sound effect when connecting with the enemy. Also his Wanpyou Tobokuze and Wanpyou Mametzu moves.
  • Sexy Priest: Overlaps with Evil Is Sexy and Stupid Sexy Flanders.
  • Sinister Minister: Looks suspiciously like a Catholic priest. He's quite sane, fortunately, and detests demonic entities such as Demitri Maximov and Red Arremer.
  • SNK Boss: Even in King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match, where he's said to be arguably worse.
    • Subverted in King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match: before people started unlocking him, many players expected him to be of boss level, but he lost the SNK Boss traits in this incarnation, and plays more like he did in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos.
      • This is actually part of a strange Double Subversion of sorts. Goenitz was a midboss in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, and was originally ported to the PS2 and Xbox versions of the original 2002. In SNK vs. Capcom: SVC, he was less cheaper than his original form, but still overpowered. These issues were, unfortunately, left intact in his original 2002 appearance, but 2002 Unlimited Match corrected these errors, and made him a high-tier secret character instead.
  • Spam Attack
  • Villainous Breakdown: The Three Sacred Treasure's ending (which is the canonical ending) has Goenitz screaming about why the wind isn't blowing after Kyo and Iori deliver the coup de grace on him.
  • Wolverine Claws: Like Iori's case, his own hands do the job.

Leona Heidern

"Had enough? Then beat it, fool."

Voiced by: Masae Yumi, Lisa Leonard (Maximum Impact series, English), Rachel Waltzer (XII, English)

Her father Gaidel was one of the Orochi heralds, but when Goenitz visited his village to remind him of his role in Orochi's resurrection, Gaidel wanted no part of it. As punishment for his betrayal, Goenitz forced Leona into the Riot of the Blood state, causing her to go berserk and slaughter the entire village singlehandedly, including her family. When she woke up and saw what she had done, a traumatised and amnesiac Leona then wandered aimlessly until she was found by Heidern. Heidern planned to drop off her at an orphanage, but found Leona had cut down a tree with her bare hands, and not to mention he had lost his own daughter some time ago. She was adopted by Heidern shortly afterwards, becoming his de facto daughter. Although she appears cold, she maintains this persona out of fear that being emotional will cause her to regress into the Riot once more.

Geese Howard

"You really think you can beat me? That is so unfunny."

Voiced by: Kong Kuwata, Tom Bitler (Maximum Impact series, English)

The Big Bad and Final Boss of pretty much every Fatal Fury game. Geese, along with Jeff Bogard, trained under Tung Fu Rue in the art of Hakkyokuseiken. After learning that Jeff would inherit the style's secret arts, Geese left the school embittered, and swore revenge. He eventually became the most known mastermind in the criminal underground. He took control of Southtown after winning it over from Mr. Big and making him his underling. Afterwards, Geese finally got his revenge by killing Jeff Bogard in a vicious battle, and causing his sons to train under Tung for revenge. Over the course of several years, he worked his way from police commissioner to mayor of Southtown. He decided to host the first King of Fighters tournament out of boredom, and faced Terry Bogard in the final battle after Terry defeated his right hand man Billy Kane. Geese lost and was given a swift boot out of the top floor of his tower, but somehow survived the fall. Geese sends Billy in ‍'‍95 to form the Rival Team and enact revenge upon the Bogard Bros. He resurfaced in ‍'‍96, entering the King of Fighters tournament along with his half-brother Krauser and Mr. Big to learn more about the Orochi's power. Mr. Big, learning he was being used, attempted to assassinate Geese, but Billy arrived just in time to stop the sniper's bullet aimed at Geese's head. In ‍'‍97, he chose Billy, Yamazaki and Blue Mary to go and investigate the Orochi power further. Later that same year, he obtained the Jin Scrolls and once again held the King of Fighters tournament in Southtown. He faced Terry for the last time, and history repeated itself as Geese was once again sent out of his tower. Terry tried to save him, but Geese refused and fell. His body was never found, but in the Maximum Impact and Mark of the Wolves storylines, he is Killed Off for Real, coming back as literal Nightmare Fuel. In 2003, he sponsors the Outlaw Team consisting of Yamazaki and Billy once again, as well as Gato.

  • Arrogant Kung Fu Guy: Somewhat of a subversion. Geese actually does have discipline, but unless you earn his respect, you're worthless scum to him, and he'll gladly beat the shit out of you to demonstrate how much you suck compared to him.
  • Badass: Don't let his name fool you. This guy has fallen off the same 50-story building twice and lived to tell the tale. He practically rivals Akuma in terms of badassery when it comes to King of Fighters.
  • Badass Arm-Fold: He does this pose as his Victory Pose.
  • Battle Aura: He has a constant blue/purple aura surrounding him in his "Nightmare Geese" form.
    • From Real Bout Fatal Fary 2 onward, he briefly gains one while performing his Rashomon.
  • Blond Guys Are Evil
  • Bonus Boss: In 2002 Unlimited Match, Geese is the last Expert challenge of the Challenge Mode.
  • Bring It: His taunt.
  • Counter Attack: Roughly one-third of his moveset revolves around attack reversals and throws. Luckily for you, these moves have been toned down from their That One Attack status in the original Fatal Fury, where he'd counter everything, even you jumping towards him.
  • Disney Villain Death: The undisputed God of this trope.
  • Does Not Like Shoes: He instead prefers to wear tabi, symbolizing his fascination with Japanese culture.
  • Everything's Sparkly with Jewelry: Although he wears a rather modest dogi and hakama pants, Geese's battle attire also includes a blinged-out gold necklace.
  • Expy: Geese Howard seems to resemble King, the Final Boss of The Super Spy, something made a bit more obvious with the intro to Fatal Fury 3. He also looks like the Aussie from Jean-Claude Van Damme's Bloodsport.
  • Good Scars, Evil Scars: Has a particularly nasty one on his back (from his fall in Fatal Fury) as well as another one going across his chest.
  • Gratuitous English: Terry's Evil Counterpart in terms of this.

Chizuru Kagura

"Playtime's over. Winning is too easy. You can't lay a finger on me!"

Voiced by: Akiko Saito (‍'‍96-‍'‍98), Yukiko Sagawa (2003)

Possessor of the Yata Mirror and guardian of Orochi's seal. A wealthy businesswoman and Shinto priestess who hosted the ‍'‍96 tournament in order to test the abilities of Kyo and Iori, to ensure the would be able to defeat Orochi if he was revived. Her twin older sister Maki was killed by Goenitz in order to weaken Orochi's seal, and her fond memories of her sister were used to manipulate her in the 2003 tournament by Botan, who used her to weaken Orochi's seal further. Her powers were then stolen by Ash Crimson, taking her out of the fight. She asked Shingo to form a team with Kyo and Iori in her place for the next tournament.

Chizuru: "NEE-SAMA!!"

Maki: "CHIZURU!!"

Wolfgang Krauser

"Opposed me with such low ability, you make me laugh."

Voiced by: B.J. Love

The current Earl of Strolheim, the latest in a line of bodyguards of European nobility. He is Geese's half-brother and hosted the second King of Fighters tournament after hearing of Geese's disappearance. Krauser took the tourney worldwide, wanting to face the best of the best. Although there were rumors of his demise following his defeat at Terry's hands, they were proven wrong when Geese invited him to join a team Geese had formed for the ‍'‍96 tournment. Krauser is a cruel opponent in the ring, but is a kind soul outside of it, as he sees no justification for mercy in combat.

Mature

"Good night. Forever. Have a million sweet dreams."

Voiced by: Hiroko Tsuji, Donna Burke (XII, English)

One of the servants of Orochi. She, along with Vice, were assigned by Goenitz to watch over Rugal in case he overused his Orochi power, but he did, and both of them were reassigned to watch Iori Yagami. Both of them joined him for the ‍'‍96 tournament, but they were killed by Iori after he entered the Riot of the Blood state. As revealed in XIII, both women have returned from the dead to protect the power of Orochi. Her Orochi power was the ability to create illusions.

Kasumi Todoh

"The honor of the Todoh school is in my hands. Me, the daughter of Ryuhaku!"

Voiced by: Masae Yumi

Kasumi is the daughter of Ryuhaku Todoh, the first enemy in the original Art of Fighting. She grew up learning the Todoh school of Aikido and Kobujutsu, taught to her by her father. As her family's sole heir, she does all she can to stand up for the Todoh way. When Ryuhaku stayed at Southtown to settle an old score with a man named Takuma Sakazaki, Kasumi remained in her house, waiting for her father's return. A couple of months later, she got some bad news: Ryuhaku had been defeated by Ryo Sakazaki, Takuma's son, and hasn't been seen since. She decided to fight Ryo and anybody else in order to avenge her father. Unfortunately enough, her mother Mizuho did not like that idea. But she eventually makes peace with him and returns to Japan with her mother.

"Slow down--don't understand meaning..."

Vice

"Well, I guess I'm through. There are no more bones to break."

Voiced by: Masae Yumi

One of the servants of Orochi. She, along with Mature, was assigned by Goenitz to watch over Rugal in case he overused his Orochi power, but he did, and both of them were reassigned to watch Iori Yagami. Both of them joined him for the ‍'‍96 tournament, but they were killed by Iori after he entered the Riot of the Blood state. Much like Mature, she returns from the dead and teams up again with Iori in XIII to prevent Orochi's power from falling into the wrong hands. Her Orochi power was the ability to hypnotize anyone to do her bidding.

The King of Fighters '97

Chris

"You make me laugh, chump. And laugh. And laugh. And laugh."

Voiced by: Rio Ogata

The speed-based member of the New Faces Team, and Orochi's chosen vessel. A Cute Shotaro Boy who knows it and takes advantage of it. He uses the power of fire in his Awakened form.

Yashiro Nanakase

"You're not too bad. That is, you're second."

Voiced by: Makoto Awane

One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi. Yashiro, Shermie and Chris entered the ‍'‍97 tournament to get revenge on Iori for stealing their band's gig. In the finals, the three of them reveal their true agenda, and in the end, Yashiro and Shermie commit suicide, offering their energy to Orochi to resurrect him inside Chris. His Orochi power was the ability to control the earth.

Orochi

"The butterfly emerges from its chrysalis..."

Voiced by: Rio Ogata

The infamous creature of legend. Orochi is one of the servants of Gaia, but along the way, he became fanatical in his views, and believed that humans were a threat to Gaia. As such, he began putting a scheme into motion to eliminate humans from existence. He created a cult known as the Hakkesshu, or the 8 Heads of Orochi, to help him with his plans. He was stopped 1800 years ago by the Kusanagi, Yasakani and Yata clans, who sealed him away. However, he was still able to use some of his power through the seal, and began to spread his influence to others. Through Goenitz, he managed to open the seal partially upon the death of Maki Kagura. The seal was broken in ‍'‍97, when Yashiro Nanakase and Shermie offered their powers to reawaken him inside Chris. He was resealed by Kyo, Iori and Chizuru after a fierce battle. Recently, there has been a plot to try and break his seal once again by Those From The Past, meaning he may return in the final chapter of the Tales of Ash. Or not, seeing as Ash's Heroic Sacrifice in XIII nullified every event in the current saga.

"Blue" Mary Ryan

"This isn't about logic, it's about smashing your face in!"

Voiced by: Harumi Ikoma

A freelance agent who was originally hired to investigate the theft of certain important scrolls. Her activities usually revolve around Geese's intentions: it's just as well, as her grandfather was Geese's mentor. In her King of Fighters debut, she was hired to team with and investigate Geese's right-hand-man Billy Kane and Psycho for Hire Ryuji Yamazaki, only to find that Geese was behind her employment. Since then, she has served as a semi-regular team member, usually alongside other Southtown representatives or female fighters. She gets along very well with Terry Bogard, though he wouldn't call her a girlfriend.

Shermie

"Game over, pal! Don't forget to save. Sweet dreams!"

Voiced by: Hazuki Nishikawa

One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Orochi. Shermie, along with her bandmates Yashiro and Chris, entered the tournament to get back at Iori Yagami, stealing the American Sports Team's invitations. After the tournament, they reveal their true indentities and fight the Japan Team. They then ripped their own throats out as offerings to revive Orochi inside Chris. She's normally very ditzy and somewhat clumsy, but when she reveals her true intentions, she becomes extremely serious and devoted to Orochi's goal. Her element was lightning.

Shingo Yabuki

"Did you see me, Mom?! I... I won! King of the World!"

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu

Kyo Kusanagi's biggest fan. He enters the tournament to fight his idol, and in ‍'‍99 goes looking for him with Benimaru, K' and Maxima. Afterwards, Saisyu takes him in as an apprentice. He re-enters the XI tournament to replace Chizuru, but though he sorta manages to keep Iori and Kyo from killing each other, he's beaten senseless by a reawakened Orochi Iori.

  • Ascended Fanboy: From merely watching the ‍'‍96 tournament on TV, to actually participating in it in ‍'‍97, to being part of the Hero Team in ‍'‍99 to finally teaming up with his idol Kyo in 2001 and XI.
  • Badass Normal: Believe it or not, he's more powerful than any normal human being, in fact, his chiseled body and strength are a force to reckon with, it's just nobody takes him seriously.
  • Critical Hit: His status as a Lethal Joke Character revolved around this.
  • Determinator: His techniques are low-grade imitations of Kyo. He can't shoot flame, no matter how much training he receives from Kyo or Saisyu or the fact that he has Kyo's old gloves. But every single fighter be damned if Shingo will ever give up. Proof? He survives a beatdown from Orochi Iori in XI.
  • Dojikko: Sometimes trips after performing some special moves.
  • Fingerless Gloves: Presented to him by Kyo as a sign of Shingo's progress as a martial artist in ‍'‍97.
  • Flung Clothing: Sometimes wears a track jacket over his uniform.
  • The Heart: The other one aside of Chizuru who can keep Kyo and Iori from being at each other's throats.
  • Heroic Wannabe: Idolizes Kyo Kusanagi, to the point of mimicking his moves and speech. He's training to be as good as Kyo, and is convince that he too can "shoot fire".
  • Hero Worshipper: The parallels between him and Sakura Kasugano (who made her debut around the same time) are so staggering that you might wonder if they're Distaff Counterparts.
    • Hachimaki: Ditto, although it isn't quite the same as Kyo's.
    • Iconic Item: The Kusanagi gloves Kyo gave to him in ‍'‍97. Shingo has worn them ever since.
    • School Uniforms Are the New Black: Mainly due to Shingo wanting to emulate Kusanagi-san as much as possible.
  • I Gave My Word: To Chizuru.
  • Lethal Joke Character: Thanks to his hard-earned Super Strength.
  • Ordinary High School Student: Though one with the power of Critical Hit attacks. And that random flame from his attacks in 2003 and XI...
  • Painting the Fourth Wall: During his HSDM in 2002 Unlimited Match, Shingo tries to copy one of Kyo's moves... and forgets about halfway through. He then takes advantage of the fact that he's in a video game to read through his notebook and finishes the chain of attacks.
  • Ryu and Ken: In regards to Kyo and Iori, he's akin to a Dan/Sakura-hybrid, although his spins on Kyo's teachings make him a formidable fighter.
  • The Team Normal: No matter what team he is in, he is only one without any special powers.
  • Use Your Head: His Shingo's Own Red-Hot Chariot DM/LDM ends with Shingo flubbing the move and divebombing into the ground. Said divebombing does a tremendous amount of damage, nearly equaling the rest of the move's damage output.
  • The Worf Effect
  • Your Mind Makes It Real: There is the belief that ‍'‍98's "Dream Match Never Ends" comes from Shingo's dream. Every character in this dream match is Shingo's impression of them, based on either personal experience or his notes in his notebook.
    • There's also the spark of flame that randomly appears during his 115 Shiki: Dokugami Mikansei in 2003 and XI. It seems that only Shingo notices it, most likely due to his goal to shoot flames (as evident in the Japan Team's ending for 2003).

Ryuji Yamazaki

"Annoying. Annoying! Annoying! You're just so bleeding annoying!"

Voiced by: Kouji Ishii

The Psycho for Hire when it comes to psychos for hire. Yamazaki has been in the crime business for as long as he can remember. One day, when he and his former boss were on their way to make a deal, they were set up and ambushed, and his boss was killed. This drove him completely insane, and he killed everyone who was there without a scratch. He became something of a criminal mercenary, offering his services to the highest bidder no matter how dirty the job was. He was approached by the Jin brothers, who hired him to obtain the Jin Scrolls, but was defeated by Terry. He also kidnapped Franco Bash's son for some reason, but Franco rescued him eventually. In ‍'‍97, he decides to bust up dojos for pleasure, and Billy Kane approaches him with a substantial offer of money courtesy of Geese. At first, he doesn't feel like it, but after being infuriated by a surviving student and killing him, Yamazaki agrees. It is revealed that he is a part of the Orochi bloodline, but he doesn't care about that. After the tournament, he confronts Geese regarding his money and is paid. In 2003, he teams up with Billy yet again on the behest of Geese, along with Gato, but after a scuffle with Billy, he has not been heard from since.

NPC

Gaidel

The biological father of Leona and a member of the Orochi Hakkesshu, Gaidel was an avatar of water. Distancing himself from the rest of his clan, Gaidel moved to a remote village with his wife and young daughter. When Goenitz visited him and asked for help with Orochi's revival, Gaidel refused, prompting Goenitz to activate the Riot of Blood in Leona. Gaidel, his wife and the entire village was slain by Orochi Leona.

Yuki

Voiced by: Tomoko Kojima

An Ordinary High School Student and Kyo's girlfriend. She also has the bad luck of being the last descendant of Princess Kushinada, the famous Barrier Maiden of the Orochi legend, so during King of Fighters '97, she's kidnapped by the New Faces Team so she can be sacrificed in the ritual to bring Orochi back. Luckily, she's rescued by Kyo and his team. She only had cameos in the proper games, but had her role expanded in the King of Fighters: Kyo RPG and manga, as well as the CD dramas.

  • Ascended Extra: First, she was a mere mention in Kyo's profile. The designers started playing around and imagining how Kyo's "girl" would be like, then one thing led to another...
  • Barrier Maiden
  • Damsel in Distress: Not necessarily her fault, since that's what happens when you're a Girl Next Door in this fucked-up environment.
  • Improbable Weapon User: Her schoolbag.
  • I Will Wait for You: Her sole quote from ‍'‍97 ("Matteru kara ne, Kyo!") translates to this.
  • Joshikousei: Almost always shows up wearing her sailor uniform.
  • Lethal Joke Character: In SNK Gals Fighter.
  • Lightning Bruiser: Again in SNK Gals Fighter.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: In King of Fighters: Kyo, Yuki had no idea about the Kusanagi myth and the King of Fighters Tournament. She was very unhappy when she found out and resented Kyo for not trusting her.
    • Additionally, when rescued after King of Fighters '97, Chizuru lied to Yuki about why she was kidnapped and kept her from finding out about her heritage. So while she now knows about the myth, poor Yuki has no idea of what is her role in it.
  • Love Triangle: She, Kyo and Athena (and Kensou), in King of Fighters: Kyo. Luckily, Athena and Yuki actually become friends and much drama is avoided.
  • Meaningful Name: Fanon usually gives Yuki the surname Kushinada due to her ancestry. If this is true, it hearkens to Kushinada-hime, the eighth maiden Orochi was planning on eating. Either way, her role in the story correlates to the Orochi legend.
  • Naive Everygirl
  • NPC: Unless we talk of SNK Gals Fighter.
  • Plucky Girl: Even when she's no fighter, Yuki still wants to do her best and live life as much as she can. Double in the King of Fighters: Kyo manga, where she stands up to Iori motheruckin' Yagami of all people.
  • Revenge: Has some kind of gruge against Iori in SNK Gals Fighter for some reason.
  • She Cleans Up Nicely: If not in uniform, she dresses up quite sexily.
  • Shorttank
  • SNK Boss: In SNK Gals Fighters, where she has the longest combo string of the entire game.
  • Take That: Her entire creation is one to the rabid fangirls of Kyo. Yes, that includes yaoi fangirls too.
  • Tsundere: In the King of Fighters: Kyo games and manga. She's a Type B aka Type Dere: sweet, gentle, polite and friendly, unless she's with Kyo.

Jokyojo Daimon

An instructor at the University of Osaka, she is the wife of Goro Daimon. It takes some unlikely matchmaking from the likes of Kyo and Shingo in The King of Fighters: Kyo to get these two together.

  • Birds of a Feather: She's quite serious and straight-to-the-point, just like Daimon. Surely enough, they clicked.
  • Date Peepers: Inverted. Kyo and Shingo spy on what they believe to be a private moment between the two (in reality, it was only academic matters). Shingo asks if Daimon already asked her out, which angers Daimon. Jokyoko merely replies, "Why couldn't we go out?", leaving Goro speechless. The two then go out on a date. The rest is history.
  • Happily Married: To Daimon, obviously.
  • Hot Mom: Their son Kogoro shows up in a few games with his father.
  • Hot Teacher: She was a director at the University of Osaka.
  • Meganekko
  • Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Subverted. She is eye-candy, but Goro isn't ugly, just plain and conventional.
  • You Gotta Have Blue Hair

Shizuka Kusanagi

Voiced by: Miho Kaneta

Kyo's beautiful, young looking, always calm mother.

Souji and Aoi Kusanagi

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Aoi)

Kyo's cousins, introduced in The King of Fighters: Kyo. Souji was chosen to represent and lead the Kusanagi clan for his generation, but unceremoniously resigned from his duties for an unknown cause and moved to Tokyo. His sister Aoi is something of a rebel, although both siblings dearly love their family and clan.

  • The Ace: Souji, although by pushing himself to become the best Kusanagi, he gives in to his dark side and becomes a Broken Ace. You can see the results of that in Kyo.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Naturally, Souji is like this towards Aoi. The two squabble a lot.
  • Big Brother Mentor: Souji is this to Kyo. Kyo highly respects Souji and even addresses him as "Souji-sama".
  • Biker Babe: Aoi. Includes Hell-Bent for Leather.
  • Deal with the Devil: Aoi makes the same pact with Shermie that the Yasakani made with Orochi, thus she could be susceptible to the Riot of the Blood.
  • NPC
  • Playing with Fire
  • Sharp-Dressed Man: Souji, when he's not in his dogi.
  • You Are Not Ready: When Souji loses himself to his darker side and begins to fear that he'll end up like the Yasakani/Yagami, he passes up the succession of the leadership of the Kusanagi clan (which is why Kyo is chosen in Saisyu's stead).

The Sendo Siblings

L-R: Junko, Kyoji, and Syota

Voiced by: Hirotaka Hayashi (Kyoji, credited as Konomanma Hayashi), Yumiko Kikuchi (Junko), Taison Ohya (Syota), Miho Kaneta (Keisuke)

A trio of siblings (Kyoji, Junko and Syota) who constantly pester Kyo throughout The King of Fighters: Kyo and try to defeat him so that they can steal his invitation and compete in the ‍'‍97 tournament. It's revealed that the three wanted their younger brother Keisuke to see them fight in the tournament.


  1. "You're not worth my disgust!"